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Saturday, January 14, 2017

Though Medicaid asset tests are prohibited, Arkansas plans a way around

The Arkansas crackdown on poor recipients of welfare programs is underway including a work-around of the prohibition of asset tests for Medicaid recipients.

Interesting story by John Lyon of Arkansas News Bureau. State officials told reporters that it will expand a pilot program and check recipients of expanded Medicaid coverage provided by Obamacare for unreported income. That IS allowed. And how will it check unreported income? It will "review" their assets. Money in the bank will help state officials check for unreported income. These asset tests also will be used to check food stamp recipients.

The state is also going to refer ALL in the Obamacare Medicaid expansion to the Workforce Services Department for employment or potential improved employment. Originally, this referral was only going to be required for those making less than 50 percent of the federal poverty level. The Medicaid expansion covers those making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

Rather than describe this work referral as what could be a minimally productive intrusion on people struggling to get by on minimum wage jobs, it is described as a boon:

"If you're making 51 percent of the federal poverty level, you want help moving up the income ladder. You need access to these kinds of services," said DHS Director Cindy Gillespie.

Department of Workforce Services Director Daryl Bassett said, "We didn't want to be in a position where we were picking winners and losers among Arkansas' workers."

The idea is to reduce the number of people covered by Medicaid and save the state the small match it must provide to federal dollars. It is also meant to comfort those who believe the undeserving are receiving government help. Such efforts sometimes produce fewer benefits than they cost, particularly drug-testing screens. These may be different. Time will tell.

More by Max Brantley

Gary Heathcott the long-time ad and PR man who now lives in San Antonio has sued CJRW, the major ad and PR firm, over its severing of a consulting deal with him last year and asks $1.3 million in actual damages plus unspecified punitive damages.

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed numerous judicial ethics complaints against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh because the law exempts Supreme Court members, even for acts committed as a judge covered by the law. In short: Bart O'Kavanaugh is above the law.

Brett Rains of 40/29 is tweeting from the Capitol that the Department of Human Services is slowing its push for cuts in reimbursements for home health aides that critics have said could force many people into more expensive nursing home and force companies that provide the services out of business.

Little Rock police have identified two women found dead of gunshot wounds in an SUV parked next to a vacant trailer in a mobile home park at 11500 Chicot Road.

It's the New York Times with the news today. Fired FBI Director James Comey kept notes of his talks with Donald Trump. A memo he wrote in February after a meeting with Trump said the president asked him to shut down the investigation into Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser.

A former employee of the Pulaski County sheriff and a North Little Rock woman who sold goods to the sheriff's office have pleaded guilty to mail fraud in a scheme to steal from the sheriff's office, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney's office.

by Max Brantley

May 16, 2017

Slideshows

Arkansas vs Ole Miss at War Memorial stadium in Little Rock, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. After leading for much of the game, Arkansas lost 37-33 when Ole Miss scored the game winning Touchdown with less that 2 minutes left.